


Beyond One's Scars

by Metal_Gear_XANA



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Black Eagles-bonding, Character-centric, Comfort, Friendship, Light Angst, One-Shot, pre-release
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 11:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19108819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Gear_XANA/pseuds/Metal_Gear_XANA
Summary: Pre-Release, 'Fire Emblem: Three Houses'. After taking a blow to save one of her Black Eagles Edelgard is taken to the doctor's office to be treated. There she is reluctant to be treated, for she bears many scars from past assassination attempts. As the future emperor of Adrestia she cannot afford to show weakness. Perhaps the Black Eagles, Manuela and Byleth can show her that her scars are not to be ashamed of, and that she is a good leader. One-shot, Edelgard-centric.





	Beyond One's Scars

Beyond One’s Scars

**A/N: Some of the characters during this time have yet to have bios so these are just headcanons!**

* * *

Whispers and gasps of petrified horror echoed across the corridor of Garreg Mach Monastery as Hubert assisted an injured Edelgard to the doctor’s office. The heir had been shot by an arrow as she tried to protect Caspar, and as a result was bleeding from her side. The Black Eagles insisted on coming with their House leader, but Edelgard ordered them to attend to themselves and finish their tasks.

Without knocking Hubert pushed the door to the doctor’s office aside and awkwardly paced over to the nearest resting spot to lay down the princess. Manuela was startled by the rude interruption, (and scoffed at Hubert regarding manners of knocking) but she immediately moved over to check on the injured Edelgard. The future emperor glanced up at her strategist with a solemn expression upon her sweating face.

“Hubert, I need you to leave me and check on the house members,” Edelgard uttered authoritatively, her eyes glancing over to Manuela fetching the needed equipment to treat her.

For a brief moment, which was a blink-and-you-miss instant, Hubert expressed flabbergast at her request. “My Lady, the Black Eagles can manage on their own-”

Edelgard managed to prop herself on her elbows and command strictly with her eyes blazing, “As your liege I order you to leave me!”

A tense silence filled the room.

Edelgard’s trenchant glare remained intact as she stared at her strategist. She was aware of Manuela glancing between the two with the uncertainty of a child trying to figure out if they should interrupt their parents’ argument. Regardless of her injury, and the nausea that pestered her to no end, Edelgard remained authoritative. Inevitably Hubert let out a sigh of defeat, gave a respectful bow and uttered that he will attend to the Black Eagles' needs. With that addressed he quietly left the doctor’s office and gently closed the door behind him. Once he was gone a sharp pain shot through Edelgard’s side. She grunted, her face contorting to match the agony, and on reflex her hand went to grasp her grazed side.

“Your ‘playing tough’ attitude has just rewarded you with agonising pain,” Manuela spoke bluntly as she gently shoved Edelgard unto the resting place. “I expect this sort of attitude from Ferdinand not you.”

Edelgard opened her mouth to ridicule the doctor’s comment, but she bit her lip to supress a hiss of pain escaping her.

“I will need you to take your tunic off,” Manuela ordered.

Somehow the already pale face of Edelgard grew more pallor. “C-can you not treat my wound just by lifting the hem of my tunic?”

Manuela shook her head. “Your clothing will get in the way; that wound of yours is serious,” she explained laconically so to treat the injury soon. She cocked an eyebrow in understanding. “If you have a problem taking off your tunic then I can do it for you-”

“I rather… you treat it as it is regardless if my clothing-”

“Edelgard, I have seen all sorts of injuries; I doubt your arrow wound is anything different,” Manuela remarked dryly as she rolled her eyes at the future emperor’s stubbornness. “So do I have to take your tunic off or can you manage yourself?”

Lilac eyes softened in shame. Edelgard gripped the sides of her resting spot so intensely that her joints ached. She could feel her ears ringing with frustration, and her throat contract with dismay. A sharp breath escaped her. Without answering Manuela’s question she propped herself up and slowly yet reluctantly began to take off her tunic. Once the clothing rolled off her person she heard Manuela gasp. The princess then noticed the former songstress cover her mouth and her eyes wide and flickering with sheer distress. Edelgard casted her lilac eyes away to the floor to hide her incomprehensible humiliation.

Faded scars adorned her body. Some were from dagger’s jabbing into her when she was a child, others from swords offering to slice her flesh later in her life. From her torso to her hips and around to her back these scars made up quite a portion of her figure. So many assassination attempts upon her life ever since she could crawl as a baby… and her reward for surviving was the shame of never being able to defend herself. An emperor must be strong and an inspiration to their people, not some weakling that received scars like they were offerings. Edelgard could not afford to be pathetic… yet here she was, a woman to be pitied instead of someone to invoke awe…

“Oh Edelgard,” Manuela uttered quietly. Edelgard recoiled at how sympathetic those words sounded. “I know that there would have been assassination attempts upon you… but I never thought you would have suffered so-”

“Stop pitying me,” Edelgard spat defensively, her eyes still entranced with the floor. “I am your future emperor, someone to be seen as an inspiration for strength not a person to feel sorry for.”

Manuela was about to protest only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. The former songstress called to see who it was.

“Byleth,” the caller, Byleth, answered. “I bumped into Hubert and he mentioned that Edelgard was hurt. Mind if I come in?” 

Edelgard was about to call out for Byleth to leave, only for Manuela to cut the princess off with a clap of her hands and a cheery ‘of course!’. Lilac eyes glared at the oh-so innocent expression upon the doctor’s face. As Byleth entered Edelgard quickly grabbed her tunic and used it to shield her scars from the professor. The doe-faced teacher’s eyebrows shot up at the heir. Manuela scoffed at Edelgard, but the white-haired girl kept her glare intact towards the doctor.

“Oh really now, you’re being extremely silly Edelgard,” Manuela admonished as she went to fetch the herbs and bandage wraps to address the injured princess. 

Byleth blinked confusedly towards the two. “Am I…missing something here?”

“Nothing at all, professor,” Edelgard uttered before hissing in pain and flinching. Byleth power walked to her side, only for Edelgard to swat the teal-haired teacher’s hand away. “I just wish to be alone as I am being treated.”

“Edelgard is acting like a petulant child over her scars,” Manuela stated frankly as she came over to Edelgard. “That pride of hers is giving me grief.”

Edelgard’s white eyebrows furrowed virulently at the puerile woman. “This has nothing to do with-”

Before she could react Byleth swiped the tunic from Edelgard’s hands. Edelgard tried to reach for it, only for a sharp pang of pain to cause her to yelp and buckle down. Recovering from the blow Edelgard glanced to see Byleth watching her with an expression of remorse. Edelgard bit her lips and looked away from her professor. She tried to cross her arms to cover her exposed stomach, where most of her faded scars were, only to recoil her hand from grazing her wound. Silence graced the room. Soon the princess grew hyper aware of the minute sounds around her: swab dipped in alcohol; bandage wraps being cut, and her shaky breathing.

“Please stop looking at me with remorse…” Edelgard whispered, more so to herself then to Byleth. “…I can only take so much humiliation...”

Manuela brought a swab and a piece of cloth over, where she kneeled to be at face level with Edelgard. The princess still refused to make eye contact.

“Bite on this cloth so to not let out a scream,” Manuela ordered as she lightly shoved the cloth to Edelgard’s stomach. “I hope you don’t have some silly idea of having to be tough by not biting into the cloth.” 

An unexpected light chuckle from Byleth caused Edelgard to whip her head and glare up at her professor with vitriolic disgust. Manuela halted her procedure to look over her shoulder at the teal-haired woman with an eyebrow cocked in puzzlement.

“Do tell me, Edelgard, why you think you’re so special.” Byleth said, her arms crossed and her eyebrows rose.

Doubting she heard the teacher correctly Edelgard only blinked up at the older woman. Byleth’s fingers tapped her arms as she waited for an answer, indicating that the future emperor had heard correctly.

“What did I say to imply that I was special?” Edelgard shot out defensively.

Byleth pointed a finger at her and circled it to gesture to her scars. “You think you’re the only person with scars? Do you think Dimitri and Claude haven’t had people try to assassinate them in the past?”

“You think of me as a fool!?” Edelgard scolded and shot up with a snarl. She ignored Manuela telling her to calm down and relax. “I am aware that I am not the only one-”

“Do you think so little of people with scars?” Byleth interrupted abruptly, her expression turning stern. “Are people with scars those whom you consider weak and pathetic?”

Edelgard recoiled at her professor’s harsh words. “Of course not! They are no worse than I or-”

“Well don’t you sound hypocritical!” Manuela chimed in, albeit too smugly. Before Edelgard could rebuttal the former songstress stuffed the cloth into her mouth. “Now hold still; this will hurt.”

When the swab made contact with her wound Edelgard let out a muffled scream into the cloth. Byleth went back to the princess and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder to massage it and utter soothing words to Edelgard. Tears escaped the tightly closed eyes of Edelgard as Manuela continued to apply the swab to her injury. More muffled screams were suppressed by the cloth once the stitching process began. Some time passed, although no one could know the exact hour.

Once the bandage wrap was wrapped and secured around the future emperor’s stomach to her side all was complete. Manuela regarded her work with satisfaction, and then went over to fetch a jug of water for Edelgard. Byleth stood up and eyed the princess with wonder. When Manuela returned Edelgard took a massive gulp of water from the jar and then lowered it beside her. Lilac eyes regarded her wound now meticulously wrapped under by bandage wrap. Her eyes then took notice of the amount of discarded swabs, and the bucket of bloodied water from the cleaning. 

“So?” Edelgard halted her observations and looked up at Byleth. That stern expression before had returned to the professor. “Why do you think you’re special over others that have scars?”

Edelgard let out a sigh. With one arm she wiped away the dry tears. It did not ease her nerves when Manuela was standing beside the professor and eyeing her curiously.

“I… I am the future emperor of Adrestia: I cannot afford to display weakness,” Edelgard uttered, wincing at how miserable and jaded she sounded. “What kind of emperor will I be when I have had so many near-misses from assassination attempts?”

“A strong one.” Edelgard looked over at Manuela to express scepticism to what she heard. There was a smile etched on the doctor. “The fact that you have so many scars and live to tell the tale speaks so much volume!”

“It is inspirational, Edelgard,” Byleth added, her firm expression starting to soften. She tilted her head to the side. “People will pity you, although is that such a horrible thing? Would you rather have your people cheer when you are injured or to sympathise with you?” 

Edelgard pondered her professor and Manuela’s words carefully. Of course she would rather be loved by her people, but… would they think of her as strong because of her scars? That sounded extremely paradoxical to her, and yet…she never thought of any Black Eagle for being pathetic or weak because of their injuries. To express kindness to those hurt or in need was also something she personally valued, whether it was assisting Petra in her language boundaries or going over to break up another fight that Caspar got into with Felix.

…What made her so different then?

“You received that wound from protecting Caspar, from what Hubert informed me,” Byleth stated. Edelgard gave a small nod.

Instantly Byleth’s once solemn expression vanquished as a smile beamed from her. “That is a sign of a strong leader, one who is willing to put others over herself.” 

“That is the kind of leader I, and no doubt the Black Eagles, would like to see Adrestia with.”

Lilac eyes widened at her professor’s words. Manuela clapped in agreement with Byleth and offered an expression of that of a proud mother towards Edelgard. The once brooding princess was now consumed with such flattery that she was left completely speechless. Those were the most touching words she ever heard… A sad smile played upon her face, only for it to fade away. Could one person, or rather two when including Manuela, represent an entire nation’s feelings about her becoming the next emperor? 

There was a knock on the door.

Everyone’s attentions turned to it with bated breath. Manuela gave a warning glare towards Edelgard if the white-haired girl tried to act childish again. 

“Forgive me my Lady but the Black Eagles wanted to see how you are recovering,” came the muffled yet distinguished voice of Hubert.

Lilac eyes and white eyebrows shot up in scandalize. She glanced over at Byleth to see if it was her idea, but the professor gave a shrug to indicate that it was not. The princess turned back to the door.

“I am well, thank you,” Edelgard uttered confidently, supressing a wince from escaping her lips. “It will take more than an arrow to my side to kill me.” She felt Manuela roll her eyes at her additional remark.

“Hah, as expected! No rival of mine would go down so easily!” Came the haughty voice of Ferdinand. A strange way to compliment…

“Edelgard is _so cool!_ ” Dorothea’s voice rung like that of someone meeting their idol, which caused a faint pink blush of flattery and embarrassment to etch onto Edelgard’s cheeks.

“There is someone here who wishes to come in and say something to you,” called out Linhardt. There was a pause and some murmurs followed. “Caspar would like to come in, if that is possible!”

Byleth and Manuela immediately turned to Edelgard. The future emperor regarded her scars once more and pondered what she should do. Byleth’s touching words echoed in her head, words that she wished to see if it applied to others’ views on her. She glanced up and noticed that Byleth was offering her, her tunic if she desired to hide her scars once again. Edelgard reached out, but then she halted. A few seconds passed with her arm frozen in place. After some time she retracted her arm to lie it on her side. She let out a sigh, but her eyes flickered with newfound determination.

She audibly cleared her throat. “Modesty is the least of my concerns,” she called out to those outside the room. She was in a breast band, pants and red stockings. “You may come in Caspar.”

Slowly, and with what appeared to be with some fear, Caspar opened the door. His minty green eyes eyed the room with an uncharacteristic caution as he came in and closed the door. He uttered a meek ‘hello’ to Byleth, another completely out-of-character quality of Caspar. When his eyes met hers Edelgard blinked inquisitively towards him. He let out a gasp of horror when his eyes took sight of her faded scars and her bloodied bandage wrap. She flinched; she was still not used to exposing her old scars. At least he seemed well; there were only a few scratches and bruises upon his face and neck, but otherwise he was fine.

“Hey Edelgard, uh, how are you?” Caspar visibly recoiled at his question.

Edelgard tried to supress a groan of agony from escaping, but unfortunately she could not contain it. She took notice of Caspar freaking out, so she answered, “I will be fine, Caspar. I am just relieved to see that you are safe.”

Caspar nodded but his expression, though it was no longer panicky, seemed mirthless. His face contorted as he shut his eyes tightly and his teeth gritted boisterously in the office. A sniffle was heard, alarming Edelgard.

“I… I was such an idiot!” Caspar spoke harshly, tears now threatening to escape his eyes. He slammed a clenched fist against his leg. “I acted without thinking, a-and because of it I… I didn’t see the archer, and you took the blow saving me!”

Somehow he managed to open his mint eyes, which were now bloodshot and filled with tears, to look at Edelgard with remorse and guilt. “ _I’m so sorry…!_ ”

He sniffled and then clutched his face to hide his tears and suppress his ugly sobbing. Edelgard was left utterly speechless by his reaction. She had expected Caspar to act all proud of her strength, to comment on how he could have handled it… But here he was feeling extremely guilty for her willingly saving him from the blow. Byleth had even stepped in from behind to give the usually brash boy a comforting hug to calm him down. Edelgard’s once hyper aware self-consciousness regarding appearing weak completely faded away. Now all she was concerned with was to assure Caspar that she had no regrets saving him. 

“Caspar… Caspar look at me,” Edelgard spoke commandingly yet kindly.

Caspar rubbed his nose and mustered the strength to look at Edelgard. Her lilac eyes burned with intense pride. “I have no regrets taking that blow for you. I would gladly do it again and again for anyone of the Black Eagles, nay, for anyone whether Adrestian or not.” 

“It is true that you can be reckless, a person that can be easily irritated by the pettiest of things,” Edelgard added bluntly, earning a questioning expression from Byleth. “You ought to learn to be patient and cool headed, for your sake and the sake of others.”

Through the agony she managed to smile warmly towards him. “Nonetheless, you are alive. For that I am extremely grateful.”

Without warning Caspar ran up to her and embraced her. 

Taken back Edelgard just looked at the boy who was crying into her shoulder and murmuring ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’. Manuela exclaimed to Caspar to mind her injury, but Edelgard shot her an expression to ensure the doctor that she would be fine. Awkwardly she patted his back, and once she overcame her touch deprivation she returned the embrace. A radiant smile beamed like the sun from Byleth, and Manuela just crossed her arms and looked as if her work was done. Caspar then retracted from the princess, and as if by a miracle he looked like his blithe and happy-go-lucky self. He pressed his hands against his hips and grinned with determination.

“I will take your criticism to heart and improve! I swear to you and the rest of the Black Eagles-no, no the _entire_ monastery that I’m going to be a better person!” Caspar proclaimed as loudly as his lungs could muster.

Edelgard shook her head; his boisterous self has returned. Regardless she gave a respectful nod. “I will take your word for it.”

“It would seem that Caspar is back to his annoying self…” Came the suspiciously loud grumbling of Hubert from outside the room.

Caspar appeared mock-hurt by Hubert’s comment. He turned to the door and raised a fist. “Why don’t you come and say that to my face, snake-face!”

“May we… come in Lady Edelgard?” Petra inquired, seeming to take Caspar’s invitation too literally.

Edelgard contemplated the offer. There would be times when she and the Black Eagles would not be able to come to Manuela’s office, thus they would see each other topless when attending to one’s wounds. She regarded her old injuries, the same shame from before coming back to consume her head with pessimistic thoughts. A hand rested upon her shoulder, which caused her to look up. Byleth’s doe-like eyes gleamed at her, a soothing expression that eased Edelgard’s nerves. A grateful smile briefly appeared on the future emperor’s face. She looked over at Manuela, whom eyed her warily not due to the heir’s health but about the room being bombarded by six additional students. The songstress just shook her head and muttered ‘I do not get paid enough’, but she used an arm to gesture to the door to inform Edelgard that she may invite the Black Eagles. Edelgard offered nods of gratitude towards Manuela and Byleth.

“Yes, you may all come in.” She finalised.

Without hesitation everyone entered the doctor’s office and crowded over to Edelgard. Even the shy and introvert Bernadetta managed to peep from behind the taller members to see how the princess was doing. Byleth backed away from the heir to stand by Manuela’s side to observe the scene. Edelgard casted her eyes away from the group, now increasingly self-conscious of her old scars and her bloodied bandage wrap. She could feel their eyes observing each and every faded scar upon her person.

She wanted to disappear. 

“You are… what is the word… ‘brave’ Lady Edelgard,” Petra commended. Edelgard looked up at her foreign friend with her eyes wide in shock.

There was a respectful smile etched on Petra’s face. “A true warrior… is someone whom survives… against the odds.”

“Quite the number of scars you have!” Ferdinand pointed out.

Edelgard warily turned to him, expecting some comment of how he doesn’t have a single scar on him.

He crossed his arms and expressed pride... for her? “It is impressive that you have survived for so long as future emperor! You make for a worthy rival!”

Another strange, though admittedly touching, compliment from Ferdinand.

“I can’t imagine it being easy to be the heir to Adrestia,” spoke Dorothea quietly, attracting Edelgard’s attention.

The princess worried that the singer would break down into tears. Instead Dorothea just stared at her with incomprehensible awe that her eyes sparkled like stars. “You’re so amazing, Edelgard…!”

Edelgard spluttered with flabbergast and embarrassment. Linhardt nodded vigorously in agreement and Bernadetta mumbled to match his views, and Hubert gave a hum that expressed that he knew this statement to be factual. 

“That’s our future emperor for you!” Caspar chimed in with a proud grin etched on his face.

This was… all so overwhelming.

Edelgard had… no idea what to say.

Some liquid ran down her face. Her lips started to quiver, and she could not stop. Sniffles started to sound from her. She closed her eyes and lowered her head to try and hide her teary expression from everyone. But everyone seemed to notice, and they all murmured in concern, believing that her injury was ruptured because of them. Admittedly she was still suffering from the wound… but that was not the reason for her tears. Their talking did not register in her mind as she continued to feel this overwhelming flattery consume her. 

“Thank you… every single one of you…thank you.”

Everyone seemed unsure as to why she was thanking them (particularly Caspar, who voiced that she saved him). They began to fire questions at her if she needed anything: Hubert offered to make her, her favourite tea; Dorothea said that she will sing to her any song she wants once she recovers, and Petra stated that she knew some remedies of her people that could help her recover faster. All of this was so touching that Edelgard could not muster a word or order to any one of them.

“Well I think you lot should give your House leader some space!” Manuela intruded, seeming to pick up on the overwhelmed future emperor. “She now needs plenty of rest if she is going to recover!”

All the Black Eagles backed away from their leader and bowed to express gratitude to the doctor. Afterwards they all started to leave, each and everyone wishing Edelgard a fast recovery as they passed the door and left. The once loudly scene was now silent. Edelgard wiped away the remaining tears from her face and looked at Byleth and Manuela and mouthed a ‘thank you’ to them. 

“I didn’t just order them to leave because you were overwhelmed,” Manuela insisted. She circled a finger at the princess. “You are going to lie down here until you recover.”

Edelgard’s expression hardened. “But what of my home-”

“Edelgard, you will be granted an extension,” Byleth interrupted, her doe-eyes looking at the heir with a ‘seriously?’ expression. “You will fail if you leave this room like you are.”

That shut Edelgard.

Byleth smiled, expressed her gratitude to Manuela and then left the room. Edelgard let out a shaky sigh and felt her posture loosen. She noticed Manuela looking over dreamingly at the door that Byleth exited. A droll expression morphed onto the future emperor’s face.

“If you are infatuated with Professor Byleth then perhaps you should ask her for dinner,” Edelgard recommended.

Manuela turned and scolded at Edelgard. “Do you want me to hit you in your wound, dear?”

Edelgard flinched at the threat and without a word she lay down against the resting spot. A smile of warmth consumed her face as she thought about the Black Eagles and their kind words. More tears ran down her pale cheeks, but this time she didn’t try to shield them. Slowly she felt tiredness consume her, and she closed her eyes and went into a deep comforting sleep.

She is a worthy emperor. 

That meant the world to her.


End file.
